Wireless

This week the folks at Walmart responsible for listing products at a specific time and date are... probably in trouble. A new model Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones were revealed early by a listing on the Walmart store website, well ahead of official release. This is before Sony acknowledges that they exist, much less that they'll be released soon.

It would seem only a matter of time before the iPhone is released without a Lightning port. Rumors over the past several years suggest that Apple's inclusion of Qi-standard wireless charging abilities in the iPhone point toward a completely port-free collection of handheld communication devices. An insider tip this week says Apple's not quite there yet with the iPhone 12 for 2020, but might be ready to roll in 2021.

T-Mobile has announced that it is giving first responders in the United States free unlimited service on its network. This offering is intended to support first responders through their respective agencies, which can include police and sheriff's departments, fire departments, and EMT services. The service offers unlimited talk, text, and data, including access to the carrier's 5G network.

Today we've got a pair of Razer Opus wireless headphones in the house, rolling with THX certification, hybrid ANC, and a button that allows switching between modes. That's an oversimplifcation of what's going on here - it's radical. When you're wearing these headphones, you've got the option to switch between active noise cancellation and external sound enhancement, using four dedicated ANC microphones to make it happen.

The folks at Proxy run a system that turns your iPhone into a secure wireless key to open doors with special digital locks. Now they've acquired the company Motiv, a company you might remember from their smart rings. They've decided to join forces to bring a more interesting future to the world, complete with a slightly more magical - and slightly more intuitive - digital means for opening doors and locks of all sorts.

OnePlus isn't one to immediately jump onto trends but it doesn't shy away from making changes when it believes that the time is right. After years of carrying the torch for the headphone jack, it finally gave in but only after it had launched its own wireless headphones. That happened back in 2017 when it launched its first Bullets Wireless earphones and, three years and two generations later, it is coming back with the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z. No, there is no three.

It was around this time last year when the audio experts at RODE unveiled the Wireless GO, claim to be the industry's smallest wireless mic system and the first in the company's new wireless range. It expanded that line a few months later with a partner Lavalier GO to keep things more discrete. Now it's exploding that wireless family with not one but four new members, including a clip and, ironically, a wireless handheld microphone.

The first major change in PlayStation controller history in what seems like forever was made for PlayStation 5. This device is called DualSense. It's the replacement for what's been called DualShock, a collection of controllers that's lasted several generations. This new controller "builds upon [the] success" of the DualShock 4.

Wireless audio accessories are no longer oddities that delivered fancy futuristic features at the price of sound quality. Thanks to a push in the mobile industry to do away with the venerable 3.5mm headphone jack, audio equipment makers and audio technology innovators have started taking Bluetooth audio more seriously, resulting in a new generation of speakers, headphones, and earphones that all eschew limiting cables. One of those big names in the market is Shure who is expanding its portfolio with a new AONIC brand that includes its first-ever wireless headphones.

In an announcement on Thursday, AT&T revealed that both AT&T Prepaid and its subsidiary Cricket have added new $15/month plans that'll help consumers hit by financial hardship during the quarantine. This plan includes 2GB of data, as well as unlimited call and text, and is available to both new and existing customers. As well, the prepaid carriers are easing the restrictions on data in order to help people stay connected.

Today we're taking a peek at what Verizon will and will not likely do in light of the global pandemic and national emergency that is COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) here in the USA. Verizon's released some information on how they'll respond for certain customers, and have given assurances that they're doing everything in their power to keep people connected in this time of increased network traffic. What's important here - at the moment - is the ease with which the "help" Verizon can/will give will be used by the average everyday consumer.

The SOUL Sync Pro wireless earbuds have a pair of microphones - dual microphones, they say. With these microphones and Qualcomm cVc noise cancellation (for the mics, not the audio coming out of the buds), they're meant to allow super clear calls and commands. These earbuds work with Bluetooth 5.0, aptX, and AAC Codec, and they're made to work just as well with iPhone as they do with Android smartphones of many sorts.